


We're partners in this venture, Benny

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Bull (TV 2016)
Genre: A love confession can be verbal and non-verbal, Episode Related, I'm not always canon compliant but I am when I am when I try to be, Love Confessions, M/M, Missing Scene, Puns & Word Play, s4e01: Labor Days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25138210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: After Benny came back, Benny decided to make a change in his role as a member of TAC.
Relationships: Jason Bull & Benny Colón, Jason Bull/Benny Colón
Kudos: 16





	We're partners in this venture, Benny

"Benny, could we talk in my office after court tomorrow?"

Benny looked toward the older man in the elevator.

"Sure, is this about my new contract?" Benny asked.

"No. . . yes." Bull said. "Would you still like to see it?"

"Sure." Benny said.

"Great." Bull said.

The door opened then Bull was the first member of the team to return inside of the building with Benny lagging behind him. Benny tagged along going into the place that felt strange rather than familiar. It was a new place entirely with a different pair of eyes but some tinge of familiarity and home sunk into him. A place full of tech, mock jurors, programmers keeping the program that detected the feelings of the mirror jurors all in functioning order lacking bugs and keeping it up to date. Being back again was different for a fish fresh out of water just as it were the first time around.

Benny recalled the first time, it was quite surreal and strange to find the replica of the court room -- initially -- that had the familiar feelings of being there that made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The fuzzy warmth hadn't returned yet. Benny didn't feel quite ready to return to the court room in front of the mirror jurors; he had spent a considerable amount of hours posing questions in front of a actual jury without having practiced in the mock trial. With the questions that he had asked, the jury still not turning in his favor, it was beginning to grow bleak and a annoyance. When the jury didn't get his way, he was quite unhappy about it.

There was few people in TAC, most of the workers were leaving for the night taking along their jackets, coats, purses, and handbags departing the store. He looked on spotting a familiar blonde woman with curly short hair heading his way as Bull became a distant figure. Just as the past was becoming to him, things were going to change, a little, but it had to be done.

Bull's apology was a important step forward to a new step in their relationship; starting all over with friction and a new pair of eyes seeing only a flawed man who made his sister cheat and get divorced. The causation of a entire divorce that wasn't going to change but on his watch that cause was going to change a little further than how Bull first met him about almost a decade ago. A ugly tan suit, ugly flowery and loud shirt with fluffles, and a scruffy beard that went with the disaster in contrast to Marissa's well put together fashion.

"Benny!"

"Marissa!"

Benny and Marissa crashed into a hug.

"You look well," Marissa's hand clenched the side of his arms as she smiled. "Feeling better?"

"Getting there, getting there." Benny said. "Bull's apology did a lot of moving forward."

"He _apologized_?" Marissa asked as her brows rose up. "Our Bull, Doctor Jason Bull, _Doctor_ Bull, apologized, to you?"

"Yes, sirry." Benny said as he started to smile with a nod that became accompanied with a smirk. "Took the wind out of me just hearing him say those words. He never apologizes."

Marissa smiled, softly, back at Benny.

"I have a TV dinner in the fridge that you like." Marissa said. "Like it?"

"I haven't had TV dinners in. . ." Benny looked back. "My diet has been consisting over Chinese take out. Frozen dinners are in the same place as usual?"

"Same place." Marissa said then they went down the hall.

"Beeeeny! Hey!" Chunk exclaimed as he paused in his tracks and grinned spotting the lawyer approaching them.

"How is our favorite Colón!" Danny joined Chink's side as she, too, smiled.

"Never been better!" Benny exclaimed as he joined the others into the room where they cooked their meals.

"I read your latest case," Chunk said then added. "Good job with the client." he popped in the frozen dinner then turned toward Benny. "I would have a hard time doing that case."

"It's less challenging than you think it is." Benny said as he slid out the frozen dinner from the freezer and Benny looked with gratitude toward Danny. "I had it easy finding that client. Came directly my way."

* * *

It wasn't Bull's fault that he was forbidden fruit.

This was the theme that drew Isabella in that made him so enticing in retrospect; _Engaged in a relationship._

Isabella wanted what she couldn't have until she had it and flourished with it in her possession. It was a inconvenient part of her flaws but one that he smiled about from time to time regarding their union. It was one that he liked about with its drawbacks. Perhaps, not being married was part of her condition of living with him. Their relationship wasn't exclusive so it brought a certain drawback to her; _she had what she needed and she felt no need to have what she didn't have._ And Isabella was content, at least that is what Doctor Bull speculated.

It was his fault for being in the same room as Isabella -- given their history together -- right after her father died. It wasn't his fault that she kissed him, made out with him, and conceived a baby with her. It _was_ his fault for wanting to comfort Isabella this time with no marriage between them or walls of defense that gave a perfection model between them that didn't allow vulnerability to be seen. This time, she didn't raise her shields and say hurtful words toward him, pick up her purse, and storm out leaving him all alone and hang his head at yet another failed attempt to comfort her and regroup from there on how to comfort her that worked in his interest and her interest.

It was his fault for taking that opportunity to hug her, to allow her to cry, in his arms. It was his fault for breaking apart a marriage with one simple one night stand between them that wasn't supposed to catch up with him. It was supposed to be their little secret, it was a mistake sleeping with her and he lost a friend. But, Bull got a daughter out of this accident. Something he didn't have seven years ago. Something that was taken away from him and Isabella. Something that he thought wouldn't be given to them as a couple or to him personally with no strings attached that took the child away.

Bull had a baby on the way and that made the mistake the best one which he had made in a long time. There were times where Bull didn't like change when it came to outside of his personal life within his professional life even if the change was stupid at first when he heard it. There were times that people made it hard for Bull to love them and this was just one of those times.

* * *

Benny looked at the contract; one page, rushed, but all to the point of being a legal partner. It almost reminded Benny of a wedding vow except for the fact that it was not in all the legal wording that it were set upon.

"It is not much of a contract. . ." Bull admitted.

"You don't have the contract up." Benny cut off the older man as he glanced up toward Bull.

Bull sighed, his hands on the back rest of the chair, lowering his head.

"I thought you weren't going to come back." Bull admitted then added as he lifted his head up. "Ever."

"I wasn't going to." Benny said. "Until you apologized."

Bull nodded as he sighed, straightening himself up, sliding the chair in.

"I got what mattered."

"This contract makes me a legal partner of TAC. What is this for? You didn't just decide to make everyone a partner."

"It's for you."

"Why?"

"Because you're part of this organization."

"What is the real motive behind this short contract?"

"Because you want change and you want to feel like you're part of this movement defending innocent clients."

"That is a load of bull. You could have done this years ago but you didn't."

"Your sister made me see what I wasn't focusing on. What I wasn't paying attention to."

"And what is it?" Benny lifted his brows at once.

"Feelings, Benny."

"What kind of feelings?"

"Mutually returned feelings."

"And what are the mutual feelings?"

"Benny, it's not about disliking something or loving something. It's. . ." Bull sighed, tapping his fingers along the edge of the table. "This contract is to make sure I have discipline in treating you the way that you want to be." he walked along he table then paused as his fingers drifted along the glass edge. "If I don't." he slid his hands into his pockets. "I will break it."

Benny looked on toward the paper then toward Bull.

"You said a year ago that discipline helped you back up to your feet." Benny's attention returned on to Bull.

"Yes." Bull confirmed with a nod. "I did."

"Teaching you skills to handle losses." Benny continued the train of thought.

"Yes."

"How about we do this another way." Benny slid forward the paper and put one hand in his pocket. "In private, if you go against this contract, I can slap you."

"Benny, you are being light on me. I want you to be full furious Colón getting what it is due. I want the man who chased me out of my office to chase me into bankruptcy for running over his opinions of what cases we take, for what we use as a argument, as a defense, or a prosecution. I am not the same man who met your sister a decade ago. . ."

Bull gestured his hands toward Benny.

"And you are you." Bull finished.

"Uh huh." Benny nodded, clasping his hands in his lap, lifting his chin up.

"You're the pinnacle of flawed perfection that is ever changing, a role model of what it means to be a man and a friend---I pale in comparison to you." Bull pointed a finger toward Benny. "Which makes you to be someone I wouldn't fight against in court with my lawyer as aggressively because you're right and I deserve what is coming for me."

"Bull, what _feelings_?" Benny's brows were raised up.

"Izzy showed me a photograph of you looking at me." Bull replied.

"So?" Benny asked.

"Benny, why haven't you told me that you had a crush on me?" Bull asked. 

Benny didn't know what to say as he stared at Bull, blinking, caught off guard while gaping.

"I spent four years working my way up to be your type, and so far, I like the way I am now so regressing into the person I am now isn't in a option." he sat on the edge of the table gently rubbing his hands together, musing over the passage of time. "You're just one piece of my marriage that improved me. Really---" he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I improved myself _for_."

"You're interested in me?" Benny asked.

"Always have been." Bull replied.

"Why?" Benny asked.

Bull lowered his head, then his glasses, incredulously.

"You're adorable, Benny." Bull pointed a finger back at the younger man. "Haven't you looked at the mirror lately and admired yourself?"

"Yes," Benny put his hands into his pocket as he shed a small smile. "And I am finely handsome, nothing short of adorable."

"You're both." Bull said with a smile aimed toward Benny.

Benny laughed then his mood shifted as his eyebrows brows hunched.

"Wait, hold on, hold on." he took his hands out of his pocket and shook them as he drew closer. "You have feelings for me?"

"I do." Bull said then slid forward the paper to the edge of the table as his eyes were on the younger Colón. "I made this contract because I love you and I want you to do what's best for you."

Benny was quiet as he looked down toward the paper then shifted his attention up toward the older man.

"You wouldn't have made this off the fly if you were not serious about me." Benny said.

"That sums about it." Bull said. "I need discipline to make sure I don't do what I did earlier that hurt you so deeply. I don't want to betray you like that."

"If I sign this rough draft, I will be obligated to do what I want at first moments notice." Benny picked up the paper.

"You would be." Bull said.

"However," Benny said as he looked up toward Bull as he picked up the paper, rolled it into a ball, then tossed it into the nearest trash can. "How about we do BDSM?" he turned his attention on to Bull as he rubbed his hands together. "Granted, it would hurt a hell lot more than being sued and it would be a thorough discipline then what a slap would do for you."

"What if something tragic happens to Izzy and our child?" Bull asked.

"She isn't part of the contract. TAC is." Benny said. "Eyes on the red ball, Bull."

"Right." Bull said.

"And you know what I would do." Benny added. 

"I accept your terms." Bull said. "But, I am going to strive to make sure you feel part of this." He got off the table then came to the side of the younger man. "We're partners in this venture, Benny."

Bull smiled, clasping a hand on Benny's shoulder with one hand in his pant pocket then patted lightly on the younger man's shoulder.

"It's about time you get treated as one." Bull said. "Long over due."

"It is." Benny agreed.

"But you know, I fail at keeping promises." Bull admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, his head lowered quite regretful of his flaw then turned his attention upon Benny. "I hold you up to it to make sure I pay for it."

Bull walked out of the office.


End file.
